After hearing fire chief Randy White's presentation in support of the tax, Treece acknowledged the chief's points, but said hiking the tax without a vote wouldn't be right.

During his pitch, White contradicted himself enough times that eyes were rolling in the audience and on the Council dais.

He seemed to suggest taxpayers erect the fire station with no one to staff it, an idea that struck several observers as absurd. Complaining that his department was already "stretched too thin," White said the new station would stretch it even farther, but he "hoped budgets would catch up" so he could adequately staff it.

When Treece asked what "immediate benefit" taxpayers would receive from the tax hike, Matthes revealed the fire station wouldn't rise any time soon. He planned to "save up" the $3 million building cost over six years. The property tax hike would only generate $470,000 annually.

"That's the most conservative route," Matthes explained. "But you could take out a loan and pay it back with the tax proceeds."

An email poll he sent to Fourth Ward constituents convinced Councilman Ian Thomas to vote no. "Fifty percent of respondents represented the 'backlash' to this tax I believe could defeat future tax hikes," Thomas said, reflecting a widespread worry. "They don't like it."

Council members hope to ask the public -- again -- for a new property tax to fund more police, despite the city's $325 million 'pooled cash' savings account at Union Bank of Switzerland and individual department reserve funds that exceed national standards, some by more than double.

Decrying a "toxic political environment," Third Ward Councilman Karl Skala was true to his word this time, voting against the tax.